AgdaPkt 2009-06-01 - Laserfiche WebLink

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7A ATTACHMENT l1age 91 Open Space Analysis Open Space Requirements: The City's Open Space requirements are specified in Section 32.9 of the Zoning Ordinance. This section is provided below with annotations from staff indicating how these code sections apply to projects. Following that discussion, the open space calculations for the Kentfield project are presented. Staff Comment: This first paragraph determines the overall common open space requirement for a project and becomes a basis for all open space analysis. A. The following usable open space shall be required in the R-2, RG, R-3, R-4, and R- 5 Districts: There shall be three hundred (300) square feet of usable open space for every studio apartment. There shall be three hundred (300) square feet of usable open space for every one (1) bedroom dwelling unit, plus one hundred (100) square feet of usable open space for each additional bedroom within the units. Staff Comment: The following paragraphs provide specific direction for how to quantify open space as proposed in project plans. B. Usable open space may consist of outdoor area on the ground, in side or rear setbacks (but not in any required front yard setbacks) or on any balcony, deck, porch or rooftop which is designed and accessible for outdoor living, recreation, pedestrian access or landscaping complying with the following provisions: 1. Required parking areas and their driveways and required basic minimum front yards shall not be included in computing usable open space; 2. Area included in computing common usable open space shall be accessible to all units in common and no such required space shall be less than three hundred (300) square feet in area and shall have no dimension less than fifteen (15) feet; rooftop gardens and rooftop landscaping, including rooftops above parking structuresl may be used to satisfy this requirement; Staff Comment: This paragraph allows for projects to fulfill their open space requirements through the provision of common, private, or a combination of both types of open space. Private open space areas are discounted by two thirds. Thus, the code encourages common areas, but also allows for private yards of varying sizes which can result in variety in unit type. 3. Private usable open space may be substituted for common usable open space at a ratio of three (3) square feet of private open space for every two (2) square feet of common open space required, provided such element of open space either has an area of at least one hundred fifty (150) square feet, with no dimension less than ten (10) feet, if located at ground level, or an area of at least fifty (50) square feet, with no dimension less than six (6) feet, if located above ground level; 4. Each element of usable open space shall be completely open on at least one (1) side and shall have a clear vertical height of not less than seven (7) feet, and not less than fifty (50) percent of the total required usable open space shall be unobstructed to the sky;